Ottawa Foodies

Of course I had to try this place given the controversial reviews! I was not disappointed. Service was friendly and casual. The decor and atmosphere are bigger and fancier than any other Korean restaurant I've been to in Ottawa. Carved wooden chairs are a nice touch.

I was there at 7pm on a Saturday night and it really wasn't very busy (maybe 20% capacity). I think word needs to get out.

Prices are not low but they certainly aren't unreasonable for what you get! See my food comments under Bulgogi.

Went to Soora yesterday evening. I ordered the Dolsot Bibimbap (with beef), while a friend ordered the same (but without beef). Others ordered the Rib eye table bbq option.

The waitress started us off with a small soup, made of sticky rice and butternut squash and sprinkled with a few black sesame seeds. That was really nice. The Dolsot Bibimbap was great, lots of fresh vegetables. The rib eyes looked good, a fair amount of beef given.

My only disappointment was the lack of side dishes. The waitress brought us one small dish of kimchi for the four of us. No other side dishes brought that you typically get at Korean restaurants. Lastly, for some reason they brought one small salad for the two who ordered rib eyes (how do you split a salad that size?)

Meal ended with some fresh fruit and toothpicks.

Upon leaving, a man outside the front entrance thanked us and wished us a good evening (the owner?).

The food was great, but fell slightly below expectations. I'd be willing to give it another try as they continue to refine their dining experience.

Does anyone know if SooRa has their liquor licence yet? Would like to go for Friday night dinner but my growing gang are a bunch of lushes and if there is no booze, they may not want to go yet.

popped in for a quick dinner. Overall, a really nice and friendly addition to the Korean restaurant niche. Both of the mains, Doinjang jjigae (a bubbling bean paste & veggie stew) for me and Dolsot bibimbob (rice served w/ veggies and beef) for her, were well prepared: tasty, spicy and perfect for a cold (!) summer evening. The starters, kimchi and other side-dishes, were especially nice, the kimchi fresh and the other dishes included what i assume are mountain root vegetables (maybe burdock?) lightly sauted in sesame oil. As a post-dinner cleanser, we were served a Korean rice cake (a bit like the Japanese mochi) along w/ a small fruit plate. Very nice touch, indeed.

No liquor license yet, but that's on the way, we were assured. The menu is still small, but will be expanded.

The staff were friendly and helpful; the owner walked us out and thanked us w/ a big smile. The interior (as suggested by Monty's photo) was spacious, clean, the floors a nice hardwood, and each table equiped w/ a modern bbq.

i know i'll be back.

New Korean resto on the corner of Somerset and Percy

www.soora.ca/

The tabletop barbecue is the main attraction here (although the tempura at another table looked good -- will try that another time). Each table has a burner in its center. There are a bunch of different meat choices, ranging from $17 to $22 per person for individual portions. That might sound like a lot, except it's all you need to pay. Side dishes, appetizers, etc are all included in that price. We didn't even pay for tea (tasted like toasted rice green tea) so I assume that is included too. Or they made a mistake. ?

I asked the server which meat is the tastiest and she recommended the beef rib spare marinated in soy sauce. You get two thin sheets of marinated beef, about 3 inches by 8, with a rib bone at one end. You grill the whole thing on one side and then cut it into little strips with scissors once it has firmed up a bit. It was very good. Maybe better than the bulgogi I make at home using flank steak. ;-)

I was there with my bro-in-law and we opted to have the pork neck as a second choice. The pork neck is somewhwat less fatty than the pork belly. It is not marinated in any way so the delicious, seemingly homemade, chili garlic sauce comes in handy here.

We were given a thick orange squash "soup" to start. It was more like a small warm savoury pudding. Very nice. Then all the side dishes came: kimchi, green salad with sweet sesame dressing, marinated daikon strips, and a nice one made with wilted zucchini slices. Bowls of rice (the only thing we got two of) and a plate of lettuce leaves for wrapping. The server brought a bowl of tofu soup, which kind of stumped me. When I asked how we were meant to share it, she brought a serving spoon and two small bowls. ;-) The soup was awesome.

As we reached the end of our side dishes, we were offered refills. I asked for some more kimchi and it was presented promptly at no extra cost. Very nice indeed.

The picture here was snapped in some haste and is missing a few things, like the plates of raw meat. Small technicality. LOL

Anyway, my bro-in-law is a hungry university student and I have a very healthy appetite. We left very satisfied, so at just over $25 per person, including tax and tip, I take exception to any claim that the food here is overpriced.

I'm looking forward to my next visit!

I've had worse (and far worse) in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, the States and at the homes of 1st generation Koreans. Since we established you're not a troll (right?) and we should take your reviews at face value, maybe the meal you had was sub-standard. That's possible: the restaurant's been open for a month or so, and there's always a risk trying a place still hitting its stride, or maybe they're on a decline since opening? Maybe try again in a couple months? Its a good experience, sometimes, to try out restaurants that are still evolving, working things out.

As to the other facts you "perpetuate", the prices are on par w/ other Korean restaurants--maybe tad more expensive(?), but not outrageous. (The menu's available from the website if others are interested.) Generally, restaurant prices have to be compared to others in the same genre in the local economy. You're going to frustrate yourself if you continue comparing the costs directly to what you might have paid in LA or NY (or wherever).

And, the owner *is* Korean--its not a case of "might be". If you speak Korean, chat him up, you'll find out. No need to obfuscate w/ references to "Corean".

(NB: i just saw FF's reply, but decided to post anyway.)

peterrabbit's comment on Bibimbap at SooRa is a textbook example of how not to write a useful review:

* it shows disrespect to other users of this site.
* it makes vague and general references to "horrible food" without detail or explanation
* it is melodramatic and uses hyperbole and coarse language in an ineffective way
* it includes an angry and off-topic slur, by suggesting that the owner isn't "Corean". This implies peterrabbit is either more than 100 years old or he will slam any Korean restaurant that offers sushi.

[EDIT: I was just looking at SooRa's menu and there's no sushi there! So is it the presence of Soba and Tempura that suggest it isn't "Corean?" Recommended reading: the "Harry Potter" series, with focus on the Mudblood subtext.]

ho-ooooooooooooooooly cow.

this is the worst korean food i've ever had in my life.

the decor is nice, people are nice, but the food is horrible AND overpriced. the owner might be korean, but def not corean. it's people like yous (who like crap food like this) that perpetuate shit food in ottawa. wake up.